ICC suspends Cricket Canada for governance breach, national teams remain eligible for events

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday suspended Cricket Canada’s membership with immediate effect after finding serious breaches of its membership obligations following the council meetings held in Ahmedabad.

The decision was part of a series of measures approved by the ICC Council aimed at strengthening governance, supporting women’s cricket, improving global competition structures and encouraging innovation across the sport.

Despite the suspension, the ICC said it was committed to protecting Canadian players from the fallout from governance issues affecting the national governing body. As a result, Canada’s national teams will continue to be eligible to participate in ICC events during the suspension period.

To ensure the continued development and participation of national teams, Cricket Canada will maintain access to ICC funding through a managed mechanism overseen by ICC management. Funding will be limited to approved national team programs.

The ICC will also provide Cricket Canada with a set of reinstatement conditions aimed at addressing governance and management issues identified by the board. Progress in meeting these requirements will be monitored by the ICC Standards Committee with the support of ICC management, with renewal of membership subject to the Board’s satisfaction that all conditions have been met.

The Board also approved several recommendations of the CEO Committee. Among these was a trial allowing the use of the pink ball in Test matches, by agreement between the two teams, to maximize playing time in conditions where poor light might otherwise disrupt play. The ICC will also conduct research into lighting technology for umpires and venues in partnership with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), while umpires will be given access to Hawk-Eye data when considering reports of illegal bowling action.

Other changes to playing conditions include allowing head coaches or their nominees to consult teams during scheduled drinks breaks, introducing mandatory 15-minute intervals in T20 internationals and requiring batsmen to be ready when play resumes. The ICC also permanently adopted the extension process and approved all remaining changes to the MCC’s Laws of Cricket from 1 October 2026.

In women’s cricket, the ICC moved the 2027 Women’s Champions Trophy window from June–July to 14–28 February 2027. The governing body will also launch the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in 2026 as a 10-team tournament, with five full members and five associate members. The board further endorsed the qualification process for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board, with India’s matches being played at a neutral venue.

For associate members, the ICC approved plans to create a global qualifier for future Men’s T20 World Cups and tasked management with finalizing the structure for a 16-team qualifying tournament.

The Council also reviewed governance issues in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. ICC representatives are scheduled to visit Bangladesh to hold talks with stakeholders on the Bangladesh Cricket Board election process, while ICC vice-chairman Imran Khwaja and Devajit Saikia have already met with stakeholders in Sri Lanka to assess developments there.

The ICC further expressed concern over the growing footprint of franchise cricket and agreed to set up a committee to examine how franchise leagues could be better aligned with the international calendar.

ICC chairman Jay Shah said the discussions in Ahmedabad reflected the governing body’s commitment to the governance, governance and global growth of the sport.

“Our discussions in Ahmedabad reinforced the ICC’s commitment to the stewardship, governance and growth of cricket worldwide. From women’s cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today’s discussions and decisions aim to ensure that cricket remains fair, competitive and exciting for fans around the world,” Shah said.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

01 Jun 2026 18:14 IST